Contractors' shortlist announced for major western Sydney road projects

WORK on the Australian and New South Wales governments' suite of Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan projects is pushing ahead, with shortlisted contractors announced to build three major road projects.

The successful contractor will deliver The Northern Road upgrade between Peter Brock Drive and Mersey Road, The Northern and Bringelly roads interchange and the Bringelly Road upgrade between King Street and The Northern Road at Bringelly as one project.

Minister for Urban Infrastructure Paul Fletcher said the decision to build the three upgrades as a single project would pay dividends for residents.

"The projects will be delivered together to ensure a coordinated approach to construction and to help reduce the impact on local residents and traffic while work is carried out," Mr Fletcher said.

"The resulting time and cost savings will help accelerate delivery of these vital projects, while also creating new job opportunities for residents.

"These projects are a key part of the Australian and New South Wales governments' $3.6 billion plan to provide essential road improvements for one of Australia's fastest growing regions before the planned Western Sydney Airport opens in the mid-2020s."

Above: Map of projects as part of Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan (click to enlarge) / NSW Roads and Maritime Services.

Work is already progressing on The Northern Road between Narellan and Oran Park, and the first stage of the Bringelly Road upgrade. The first section of the upgraded Bringelly Road was opened to traffic in December 2015.

NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay said both The Northern Road and Bringelly Road will be widened to four lanes, with capacity for six lanes in the future to meet the growing population of western Sydney, improve traffic flow, and boost road safety.

"This road upgrade will be hugely beneficial to local commuters heading to other parts of Sydney for work. Between improvements to the local public transport system to increased opportunities for residential and commercial development, these projects are a huge investment in the region," Mr Gay said.

"Features include new on and off ramps between Bringelly Road and The Northern Road as well as turning lanes, traffic lights and shared paths for pedestrians and cyclists alongside Bringelly Road.

"The Bringelly and The Northern Road interchange will include a new underpass to separate vehicles travelling on The Northern Road and Bringelly Road, improving traffic flow.

"Once the tenders are received, Roads and Maritime Services will assess the proposals, with construction expected to start in mid-2017 and the upgrade expected to open to traffic in late 2019."